Category: Marketing

Part I of II

There are three major players developing Large Language Models: OpenAI, Anthropic, and the one I will call ‘Complexity’.

There are several major players in online video meetings, including MS Teams, Google Meet, and the one I will call ‘Gloom’.

In my continuing efforts to understand LLM’s, I am taking a three-week class on A.I. Having spent many hours on ChatGPT and Claude.ai, I was excited when the trainer shared the attributes of Complexity, especially when he said, “There’s no need to pay for it. Search Google and you’ll find a free offer.”

I did… and discovered that holders of a Gloom account can receive one-year of Complexity. Since I couldn’t find a coupon online, I contacted Gloom and requested one. Here is the response I received:

Thank you for contacting [Gloom] Billing! My apologies for the delay. I understand your concerns regarding the account. I’ll be glad to assist you with this. When the account was purchased from basic plan to annual plan, you should have received a [Complexity] confirmation email within 24 hours. You can reach out to their support at [email] and [website]. Feel free to let me know if you have any additional questions or concerns and I will be glad to look into it for you.

I’ve had a Gloom account for many years – and have no memory of that coupon. (Since Complexity wasn’t around when I signed up, it likely didn’t happen.) I then contacted Complexity, asking ‘how can I take advantage of this excellent offer?’ This came back:

Thank you for reaching out, and I truly empathize with your situation regarding the missing code.

Unfortunately, [Complexity] is unable to issue codes, and you will need to contact [Gloom] support again for assistance with this matter. They should be able to help you with obtaining a replacement code.

I understand how frustrating this can be, and I appreciate your understanding. If you have any other questions or need further support, please feel free to ask.

Tomorrow… the rest of the story. 

Part II of II

Having received instructions to go back to Gloom to request the Complexity coupon – and with frustration growing – I sent this:

Candidly, as a long-time [Gloom] customer this is frustrating. Seems both organizations are passing the buck. Quite disappointing. Don’t believe I could possibly be the only person in this situation. Seems the two entities need to work together and support your loyal customers.

The reply came back quickly:

Hi, David

Did you received a [Gloom] email to claim [Complexity] offer? It has to be claim from there. Please note that only Free users and Monthly users are eligible for this offer.

My response was immediate:

I’ve been a long-time [Gloom] ‘annual’ customer, so don’t recall seeing that offer. Didn’t know it’s only for monthly users. (Guess you put less value in those who pay up front!) Let’s close this out and I’ll move on. Thanks.

Complexity has a free standard plan. The paid version is $20 per month. I’m not trying to scam them out of 40 bucks to try it for 60 days. I just wanted to use the upgraded model as a comparison to ChatGPT and Claude.ai, both of which I paid for to test.

I discovered three takeaways from this circular dialogue experience:

1. Don’t offer something to newcomers that frustrates loyal customers. (Are you listening mobile companies and streaming services?)

2. Don’t put in place a program that requires your employees to say, ‘You have to contact [the other group] to fix that; my bosses haven’t empowered me to help you.’ (Consider, instead, the Ritz-Carlton approach: ‘You’re authorized to fix a problem for up to $___, immediately, no questions asked.’)

3. Do think through beforehand, ‘What could go wrong with this great idea we came up with and how will we respond when it happens?’ (Or, at least, put in place an internal mechanism for adjusting on the fly… even if I, indeed, am the only person in the world in this situation!) 

Clarifying Equation

During late afternoon winter walks, I often call my siblings. It’s a great way to keep in touch and actively listen without distractions. Today was a conversation with older brother number two, during which I shared an update on a big adventure for our business.

He always provides positive reinforcement and insight, and after I explained the current state, he said something that was for me an Aha! Moment: Creativity x Connectivity = Continuity

Creativity is innovation. Connectivity is relationships with decision-makers. Continuity is repeatable and referenceable sales.

I asked if that was original. He said yes. I said I’m gonna steal it. 

Recently my subscription to The Athletic auto-renewed for another year. The next day I realized my wife’s New York Times subscription includes The Athletic, so that evening I went to their website to find out how to contact them and request a refund.

Whenever using online Chat for customer service, I have a bias that it’s likely AI or some FAQ auto-responder; thus, I start with: “Are you a real person?” Since the response was, ‘Yes’, I explained what happened in a few short sentences. The typist on the other end asked for my user name, confirmed we were covered by the NYT, and said they would issue a refund.

Whenever using an online Chat for refunds, I have a bias that it’s likely the credit won’t show up in our account for some time; thus I write: “When can we expect the funds?” Since the response was, ‘Might take up to five business days’, I made sure to check the statement a couple days later. Sure enough there was the refund.

Things don’t always go this easily, so I took the time to send an email explaining what happened and thanking them. Having been a small business owner, I learned 25 years ago that people are quick to point out what’s wrong… and seldom take the time to acknowledge a job well done. I try to remember to do that. 

In 2015 and 2016, I was invited to work with a large franchisor on strategic planning for each of their then 12 brands. A couple years went by so I circled back to see if there might be an opportunity for another round. “We decided to use a larger firm,” I learned. “They have more people who will be involved in the process.”

Covid happened. Time flew. Other clients appeared. Yet, I always stayed in touch with the COO, who I’ve known for nearly 20 years. Perhaps the simplest thing I do is wish her a happy birthday each year.

In the spring, that organization’s VP of Strategy contacted me: “We want to do strategic planning for six of our brands this summer and [CEO Name] said I should talk with you.” After a couple of conversations, he shared that, from his understanding, the last round with the larger firm didn’t align with their culture.

This summer I made four trips there to work with the leadership team of each of the brands… helping them prepare for 60-minute presentations to the CEO and CFO. Those are happening this week.

You never know when a former client will come back around. It’s important to stay in touch and continue to be available when needed. This organization now has 19 brands, and they told me to expect to work with the other 13 during the next two summers.